Lion Air Serves Wuhan-Jakarta Charter Flights, Ministry Of Transportation: Incoming Chinese Citizens Already Fulfill Health Requirements

A Lion Air plane is seen passing at one of the airports (Photo: Irfan Meidianto/VOI)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) has provided an official statement regarding the Lion Air flight with the Wuhan-Jakarta route via Soekarno Hatta Airport. In a release circulated today, the ministry led by Budi Karya Sumadi explained that the flight was a charter service.

Director-General of Air Transportation of the Ministry of Transportation, Novie Riyanto, said that his party had ensured that all flight requirements had been met by the airline and had obtained a Flight Approval (FA) as of 18 April 2021 -19 April 2021 to serve foreign citizens from China. It is stated that the passengers who boarded the charter plane came to Indonesia for work purposes.

"Aviation is in accordance with the flight approval regulations and meets immigration and health requirements, as well as national interests in dealing with the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak," he said, Sunday, May 2.

Through a number of fulfillment requirements, Novie ensured that there were no problems related to immigration and health aspects in a pandemic situation like today.

Novie also emphasized that the foreign workers would then carry out the mandatory quarantine protocol in accordance with the applicable regulations in Indonesia.

Meanwhile, the health aspects that are claimed to be in accordance with the procedure include the PCR test with negative results, quarantine at the destination of arrival, and the certainty of the negative PCR test twice after the quarantine period is over. Meanwhile, from the administrative side, it is ownership of passport, visa, or Temporary Stay Permit Card (kitas)/Permanent Stay Permit Card (kitap) documents.

For information, the government makes arrangements related to flights from abroad served by national airlines that must obtain approval from the relevant Minister. This mandate is contained in Law no. 1/2009 on Aviation, Art. 93.

Then, for charter flights during the pandemic period, it is mandatory to refer to the Circular (SE) of the Minister of Transportation No. 21/2021 concerning Guidelines for International Travel by Air Transportation during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Meanwhile, for administration and immigration, they must comply with the Regulation of the Minister of Law and Human Rights No. 26/2020 Concerning Visas and Residence Permits in the New Habit Adaptation Period.

For information, the national airline Lion Air with flight code JT-2619 was given permission to travel from Jakarta to Wuhan round-trip with a rental scheme.

The flight using a Boeing 737-900 aircraft flew from Jakarta at 06.20 western Indonesia time and arrived at its destination at 12.25 western Indonesia time.

Then, the plane left for Jakarta at 15:10 western Indonesia time and landed at Soekarno-Hatta Airport at 20.20 western Indonesia time with a change of flight number JT-2618.